Sentiero dei Principi releases Lustmord

"Lustmord" is the debut full length from Italian one man band SENTIERO DEI PRINCIPI, hailing from Bari, Puglia, the main project of mastermind Nicola Redavid. Born from an intense inner turmoil, its title comes from the eponymous work by German artist Otto Dix and can be translated as "lust murder", a term carrying detestable and violent meanings, yet also having a psychological undertone, representing a vision of a childhood shaken by traumatic events leading to a sort of "death of love". Childhood traumas are carried into adulthood and are often one of the causes of crimes of passion ("Lustmord", indeed).

Thus, the term carries two meanings: one in which childhood is not as carefree as expected ("Incantesimo dell'innocenza", "Tema bambina"), another in which adulthood is torn by moments of homicidal psychosis, using allegories to emphasize the murderer's insane visions ("Se ti avvicini la uccido").

The main perspective is however rational and lucid: on one hand there is an impulse of death and despondency, on the other hand there is an awareness of affection leading to idyllic visions, represented by bucolic images of gardens ("Dove muoiono gli ulivi", "Rinascono le tamerici", "Tutto il mondo ti danza attorno"). Therefore, "Lustmord" is an inner journey between moments of terror, lucidity, and hope.

From a musical standpoint, SENTIERO DEI PRINCIPI describe their genre as "romantic black metal". "Lustmord" is a mix of radically different influences, from orthodox black metal, to blackgaze, to Italian indie pop acts like Baustelle or Italian screamo bands like Batien. Another important source of inspiration are soundtracks for films from authors like Tarkovskij, Bergman and Martino, which SENTIERO DEI PRINCIPI reference using samples for some of the album's songs. The artist is therefore both a musician and a director, putting an imaginary film to music. The album was also influenced by certain psychology studies, a recurring theme within the record.